When one says healthcare and wellness, you immediately think of food, nutrition and exercise, and then vanity and make up by extension. But what about external bodycare? Did you ever stop to think of how your soap affects your well being?
In the quest for attaining that perfect satin smooth skin you might be unknowingly causing some harm to your skin through the usage of inferior quality soaps. What is strikingly disturbing is that brands which claim to be highly gentle on skin are often the ones who use inferior quality, which could potentially cause skin damage upon continued usage. These inferior quality soaps instantly leave your skin dry because they wash off its natural oils. Hence, it’s essential that a consumer makes a judicious choice about what he/she buys, even for something as simple as a soap as it comes in contact with the body every day.
Soap is basically a cleansing product which can be categorized based on its Total Fatty Matter (TFM) content. Simply put, higher the TFM of soap, better is its cleansing ability. According to the norms laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) soaps are graded into three categories, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 soaps. Soaps containing TFM of 76 per cent and above are Grade 1 while soaps with TFM content of 70 per cent and above but less than 76 per cent are considered to be Grade 2 soaps. Those having TFM content of 60 per cent and above but less than 70 per cent are Grade 3 soaps.
Grade 2 and 3 soaps contain higher amount of fillers. Sometimes these fillers may even contain asbestos which can have an adverse effect on skin upon continued usage. You can easily identify these soaps as they have the tendency of getting mushy on contact with water, and melt faster. Besides, lower grade soaps also have poorer lathering. The benefit for companies however is lower cost and more profit.
On the other hand, Grade 1 soaps have a higher TFM content which provides a very high cleansing efficiency while being gentle on skin. It also allows for various fragrances within the soap base to provide a great bathing experience.
Now that you know the basics of choosing a good quality soap, you can be assured that you’ve taken the first step to healthier skin.